EXOGEN.E THALAMIFLORJE. 117 



stipules, alternate, without dots. Flowers hermaphrodite, or 

 unisexual. Calyx in 4 or 5 divisions. Petals longer ; aesti- 

 vation twisted. Stamens arising from the back of an hypo- 

 gynous scale. Ovary 4- or 5-lobed, upon a stalk, each cell 

 with 1 suspended ovule ; style simple. Fruit indehiscent ; 

 embryo without albumen. 



USES. The wood intensely bitter. The root of Simaruba 

 amara, used as a tonic, is bitter, purgative, and emetic. The 

 wood of Picraena excelsa furnishes the Quassia chips of the shops. 



TYPICAL GENEKA. Quassia, Simaruba. 



50. Coriariacea. Shrubs with square branches. Leaves 

 opposite, simple, entire, ribbed. Flowers herbaceous, herm- 

 aphrodite, monoecious or direcious. Calyx 5-parted. Pe- 

 tals 5, fleshy, with an elevated keel. Stamens 10. Ovary 

 5-celled, 5-angled ; style none ; stigmas 5, subulate. Ovules 

 solitary. Carpels 5, drupaceous, indehiscent, 1-seeded, some- 

 times surrounded by the enlarged petals. Albumen none. 



USES. The fruit of Coriaria myrtifolia is poisonous ; the 

 leaves are used for dyeing black, and for adulterating Alexan- 

 drian Senna. 



TYPICAL GENUS. Coriaria. 



SUBCLASS II. CALYCIFLOR*:. 



51. Celastraceee. Shrubs or trees. Leaves simple. Flow- 

 ers in axillary cymes, minute. Sepals 4 or 5, imbricated, in- 

 serted into the margin of an expanded torus. Petals imbri- 

 cate. Stamens alternate with the petals, inserted into the 

 disk. Disk large, expanded, flat, closely surrounding the 

 ovary. Ovary with 3 or 4 cells ; ovules ascending ; fruit cap- 

 sular or drupaceous ; seeds often with an aril ; albumen fleshy. 



USES. Sub-acrid, but apparently unimportant plants in a 

 medicinal point of view. A yellow die is obtained from the 

 bark of Euonymus tingens in India. 



TYPICAL GENERA. Celastrus, Euonymus. 



52. Staphyleaceae. Shrubs. Leaves opposite, pinnate, 

 with both common and partial stipules. Sepals 5, coloured, 

 imbricated. Petals 5, imbricated. Stamens alternate with 

 the petals, perigynous. Disk large, urceolate. Ovary 2- or 



